Day: November 26, 2021

“It has not been an easy journey for me, for eight good months I did not sleep I do not pray for my enemy to be in the position I am now. For the past two years, I cry everyday” says Mr Joshua Alabi who lost his whole family members to a road accident in September 2019.

“My family of four were travelling back home from a journey when the incident happened, my wife was 32 years old, my children were 10, seven and two years old. I could not believe it when I heard the news. The journey has not been easy as I am now left with nothing, my only consolation is my mother and my mother in-law, I have to be strong for them.”

“The first time I slept after the incident was when I went for an outreach to widows and orphans, that was when I knew I have found a purpose. I now have a non-governmental organization that offers help to accident victims and their families, we link them to psychologist and therapists when there is need to regain their sanity, educational scholarship, vocational trainings and job opportunities. That is what keeps me going” he added.

Like Mr Alabi, a lot of people have lost their lives, families and loved ones from either vehicle speeding, negligence or bad road positions in Nigeria.

Road traffic injuries are now the leading killer of people aged 5-29 years. The burden is disproportionately borne by pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists, in particular those living in developing countries.

Started by Road Peace in 1993 and endorsed by the United Nations (UN) in 2005, the UN commemorates Remembrance for road traffic victims every third Sunday of November as an appropriate acknowledgement for victims of road traffic crashes and their families. This year, 2021’s theme is “Remember. Support. Act.

According to Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), in 2015, Nigeria recorded 12 077 road accidents of which 5 400 persons died. In 2016, the National Bureau Of Standards (NBS) reported that there were 11 363 crashes with 5 053 deaths; and in 2017, 10 026 crashes and 5 049 deaths.

Commemorate the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims day on November 21, 2021 at the Radio House in Federal Capital Territory, Abuja the Secretary to the Government of the Federation Boss Mustapha called on individuals to go home with a resolution that it will be a new beginning by renewing their efforts to contain road crashes on all Nigerian Roads.

He added that “Roads are prime infrastructural contributors to micro and macro-economic development of any nation. It is the backbone of our commerce, enabling passenger and freight movement across the nation. Then Federal Government will continue to expend huge resources to develop this infrastructure for its economic value. Especially in Nigeria, as indeed most economies in sub-Sahara Africa, where passenger and freight movement of 75 to 80 percent depend on road for movement and transportation.”

Also, at the event, the focal person for United Nations Decade of Action on Road Safety and Injury Prevention (UNDARSIP) Professor Sydney Ibeanusi urged all road users to adopt safer road behavior habit “vehicle occupants should use the seat belts and call any defaulting drivers to order or report such dissident driver to appropriate enforcement agencies should he fail to comply with road safety rules. Motorcycle and bicycle riders must wear appropriate safety gears especially the crash helmets; vehicle drivers must drive within the stipulated speed limits and obey the “Zebra crossing” when designated; Pedestrians should use the pedestrian bridges and walk-ways when available”.

Creating awareness for safer roads

As part of the commemoration of the day, the WHO Ondo State Field Office joined the FRSC, Ondo State in creating publicity during the week by printing banners and flyers, as well as conducting sensitization on prevention of road traffic crashes across major motor parks in Akure, Ondo State. At one of the major Motor parks in Akure, sensitization on the need for low speed was held among the WHO and FRSC staff, as well as the commercial drivers.

Ondo State recorded a total of 227 Road Traffic Crashes (RTCs) and 91 deaths in 2020, while 364 crashes and 145 deaths were reported between January and September 2021.

Meanwhile, the Country Representative WHO Nigeria, Dr Walter Kazadi Mulombo stated that “together with the UN regional commissions and in cooperation with other partners in the UN Road Safety Collaboration, WHO developed a Global Plan for the Decade of Action. The 2021-2030 has the target of preventing at least 50% of road traffic deaths and injuries by 2030. It is aimed to inspire countries, including governments and partners to act boldly and decisively, using the tools and knowledge gained from the last Decade of Action to change course”.

WHO as a lead agency for road safety is currently supporting advocacy for road safety among key stakeholders and high-level government officials, data collection and analysis, raising awareness of road safety, and disseminating good practices in prevention of RTC.

Source: World Health Organization. Africa

To commemorate this year’s World Prematurity Day, globally marked on 17th November yearly, the Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH) has launched four guidelines and a training manual for newborn health.

The documents launched include: The do Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) Operational Guidelines, National Guideline for Basic Newborn Care (NGBNC), National Guidelines for Comprehensive Newborn Care (NGCNC) and National Guidelines for Comprehensive Newborn Care (NGCNC) Training Manual.

While launching the guidelines at the FMoH on 25 November 2021, the Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire stated that the guidelines will set additional standards for newborn care in Nigeria. He therefore called for careful implementation of the content of the guidelines at the subnational level and Primary Health Care centers which will help in reducing the current high Neonatal Mortality recorded in Nigeria.

The Minister added that, “It has been established that diabetes, high blood pressure, smoking and obesity increase the risk of giving birth prematurely. Therefore, pregnant women are encouraged to access early antenatal care, as this will enhance early detection of existing medical conditions and also provide the platform for counselling against alcohol and smoking in pregnancy in addition to emotional and psychological support to the pregnant woman and her family.”

World Prematurity Day is commemorated every November 17 with the aim of raising awareness for the challenges of preterm birth and emphasizing the risks and consequences faced by preterm babies and their families worldwide.

Globally, preterm birth is the leading cause of death in children under the age of five; each year, about 15 million babies worldwide are born prematurely, that is about 1 in 10 children. In Nigeria, it is estimated that preterm contributes 9% of neonatal deaths. The theme for the 2021 commemoration – Zero Separation, Act Now! Keep parents and babies born too soon together – addresses the immediate needs of the newborns ‘born too soon’. It places premium on Zero separation of babies born too soon from their parent, which is to enhance the chances of prematurely born newborns to survive and thrive.

In his goodwill message at the event, the World Health Organization (WHO) Representative in Nigeria, Dr Walter Kazadi Mulombo, congratulated the FMoH for the various documents being launched. He stated that the documents have identified cost-effective interventions to save newborns which include immediate skin-to-skin contact and early initiation of breastfeeding for newborns. “Skin-to-skin contact, as early after birth and as continuously as possible, has positive and protective effects, such as the regulation of cardiac and respiratory rates, the prevention of sepsis (severe infection), hypothermia (low body temperature) and hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar), as well as reduced hospital readmission. We believe that implementation of these documents at subnational levels will improve our neonatal health outcomes” he says.

He further reaffirmed WHO’s commitment to continue to work with the Government of Nigeria at all levels and particularly in the areas of WHO’s comparative advantages committing that “on this occasion, WHO joins the Federal Ministry of Health to affirm that newborn care and neonatal mortality reduction are among the important goals, not only for the health sector but also for Nigeria as a country towards achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. WHO reaffirms our Triple Billion Goal as our commitment to promoting health and wellbeing, keeping the world safe and serving the vulnerable, to achieve Universal Health Coverage and ensure that No One is left behind, as our vision of a world in which all people attain the highest possible standard of health and well-being has not changed.”

Source: World Health Organization. Africa

Calabar – 26 November, 2021 – As part of the effort to achieve universal health coverage (UHC) in Nigeria, the Cross River State Ministry of Health (CRSMOH) recently conducted an orientation for health workers on the need to encourage women adoption of National Self-care/Self-injection plan.

The training in Uyo, Cross River state was facilitated with technical support from the Federal Ministry of Health, the World Health Organization (WHO) and partners. The main objective was to strengthen access to self-care/self-injection innovation in Nigeria and to educate frontline health care workers on the self-care guidelines for sexual reproductive health. Emphasis was on the scale-up of Depot-medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA-SC) self-injection.

Nigeria, in November 2016, approved injectable contraceptives for self-injection by users hoping that it would improve access to family planning services, especially in hard to reach places. However, the uptake of family planning services in Nigeria is still low, as analysis from the Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey shows that 19% of married women have an unmet need for family planning: 12% want to delay childbearing, while 7% want to stop childbearing.

Speaking to participants, Dr David E. Ushie the Special Adviser to the Governor on Health said that, while the training addressed the needs of women, Cross River State would strive to improve the levels of awareness and utilization of available interventions on reproductive health.

“The state is committed to creating an enabling environment in terms of the need for proper regulation and the orientation of our healthcare providers and the end-users to promote the guidelines on Self-Care. The concept and implementation of DMPA-SC would provide more family planning options for women in the reproductive age group and their partners in the public and private sectors across the 18 LGAs in the state”, he said.

A confident Mrs Chisom Emeka of WHO Nigeria, who was also at the training noted that, “This orientation will improve access and uptake of DMPA-SC- a self-injection contraceptive and improve the lives of many women who want to avoid pregnancy in Cross River state. It would also reduce infant and maternal mortality rates in the country”, she added.

Following the training, Mrs Eko Idam Edodi, a 34 year old health care worker at Primary Healthcare Centre in Biase local government area (LGA) stressed that she is now equipped with information on self-injection which she will use to mobilize other women in her locality to embrace the highly beneficial practice.

“With this knowledge about DMPA-SC self-injection, I will support women to make informed and positive decisions about their reproductive health. Also, it will give women of childbearing age the opportunity to make reproductive health choices for themselves.

The use of self-injection is cost-effective, promote privacy, saves time, reduce unintended pregnancies/abortions. It will also allow women to space childbirth and give their children the maximum attention and care they need”, she concluded.

Self-injected contraception is an innovative practice in family planning that is transforming contraceptive access and use. The new self-injectable contraceptive – DMPA-SC, allows women to inject themselves at the comfort of their homes and provides three months of protection. It would make contraceptive use affordable, accessible, and preserve the confidentiality of those using it. These would reduce morbidity in women and children as well as promote timely self-intervention.

Source: World Health Organization. Africa

Top U.S. infectious disease official Anthony Fauci said Friday that a ban on flights from southern Africa was a possibility and the United States was rushing to gather data on the new COVID-19 variant.

No decision to halt flights had yet been made, he said. The Wall Street Journal, citing people familiar with the matter, said White House officials were discussing potential travel restrictions on southern African countries. Those officials were expected to meet with agency officials Friday afternoon to make a recommendation, the newspaper said, without specifying which agency.

The White House referred to Fauci’s earlier comments when asked about the report and declined further comment. Global authorities have reacted with alarm to the new variant, detected in South Africa, with the European Union and Britain among those tightening border controls as scientists seek to find out if the mutation is vaccine-resistant.

The World Health Organization (WHO), however, has cautioned against hasty measures and South Africa said a British ban on flights seemed rushed.

“There is always the possibility of doing what the UK has done, namely block travel from South Africa and related countries,” Fauci said in an interview on CNN.

“That’s certainly something you think about and get prepared to do. You’re prepared to do everything you need to protect the American public. But you want to make sure there’s a basis for doing that,” he said.

“Obviously as soon as we find out more information we’ll make a decision as quickly as we possibly can.”

Fauci said U.S. scientists would speak with South African counterparts Friday about the new variant, called B.1.1.529, which has raised concern about its transmissibility and whether it might evade immune responses.

He added there was no indication the new variant was already in the United States.

Source: Voice of America

Anxious-looking travelers thronged Johannesburg international airport and stood in long queues on Friday, desperate to squeeze onto the last flights to countries that had just shut their doors to South Africa.

Many cut short their holidays, rushing back from safaris and vineyards when Britain announced late Thursday night that all flights from South Africa and its neighbors would be banned the following day.

A flurry of nations — including the United States, Canada and several European countries — have followed suit, concerned about the discovery of a new coronavirus variant, renamed omicron, with several mutations fueling an infection resurgence in South Africa.

United Kingdom citizen Toby Reid, a 24-year-old trader in London, was camping on Cape Town’s Table Mountain with his girlfriend when the ban was announced.

“At about 5:30 a.m., we got up to see if we could catch the sunrise, and at six in the morning, we found out that there was still a possibility to get back,” he told AFP while standing in line for check-in at the Johannesburg airport just hours later.

The couple managed to grab the last two seats on an evening flight to Frankfurt, Germany.

Others who were not so lucky discussed options at ticket counters, eyes widening at proposed prices and convoluted itineraries.

“There should have been more notice,” muttered Christian Good, 50, returning to Devon, England, via Frankfurt with his husband after a beach holiday.

By chance, the pair had originally planned to return on that flight, meaning they would arrive home before mandatory hotel quarantine begins on Sunday — a requirement for citizens returning from “red list” countries.

“It’s ridiculous. We will always be having new variants,” his husband, David, exclaimed, passports in hand.

“South Africa found it, but it’s probably all over the world already,” he told AFP.

The variant has so far been detected in Belgium, Botswana, Israel and Hong Kong.

‘Tired of this’

At the airport, red “canceled” signs flashed next to London-bound flights listed on the departures board.

Other destinations were still in limbo.

A KLM flight to Amsterdam was delayed by several hours after passengers were suddenly compelled to produce negative COVID-19 results.

Rapid PCR tests were offered at the airport, with results guaranteed in two hours, but at a cost of $86, compared with the standard fee of around $52 for results delivered in roughly 12 hours.

An AFP correspondent observed Some African passport holders being told they would not be allowed to fly to Europe.

Earlier, travelers milled around a closed Air France check-in desk, waiting to find out whether an evening flight to Paris would take off as scheduled, just hours after France announced its own ban.

Among them were U.K. citizen Ruth Brown, 25, who lives in South Africa and had planned to return home for the first time since 2019 next week.

Britain kept South Africa on its red list until early October, meaning many of its citizens have been unable to travel back since the pandemic started because of the costly hotel quarantine.

They had only a few weeks of leeway before the status was revoked.

“We are tired of this situation,” said Brown, who spent the morning on the phone trying to change her flight.

“Apparently (this one) is full, but we are trying to see if we can still get seats,” she sighed.

Further down the line, Elke Hahn cradled a toddler.

She had traveled to South Africa with her partner to adopt the child and was desperate to get back to their home in Austria.

The child’s paperwork was only valid for a specific flight route that had since been changed.

“We will have to get another flight, but I don’t know how that will work,” she said.

Source: Voice of America